Page 110 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950

inspected the laboratories and production premises. I am not a bacteriological specialist and
cannot give an expert opinion of all that I saw, but I well remember how deeply I was amazed
when I was told the figures, I remember that they were very big, of the amount of epidemical
disease germs that had been manufactured.

In going over the premises I was taken to an inner building where, in special cells, each of
which had a window in the door, living people were kept in chains, who, as Ishii himself told
me, were used for experiments in infection with deadly diseases.

Among these experimentees I saw Chinese, Europeans and a woman. As General Ishii
himself informed me, this woman and the Europeans were of Russian nationality who had
been sent to the detachment by the Japanese Gendarmerie and Military Missions in
Manchuria from among those who, in the opinion of the Japanese penal authorities, were to
be exterminated.

I myself saw that the people in these cells were lying on the bare floor and were in a very
sick and helpless condition.

On my visit to this prison building I did not inspect the whole of it, but only a few cells, in
which, I remember, I counted about fifty people. After the inspection, I again discussed the
question of personnel with Ishii.

As a result of the discussion of the personnel question we arrived at the conclusion that the
detachment was short of 10-15 per cent of officers it required, but that the general strength of
the detachment was in a state of mobilization preparedness. During the discussion of the
personnel question, General Ishii spoke of the branches on a par with the detachment; he
considered them as being of equal importance, although he emphasized the necessity of
giving priority to the staffing of the detachment's headquarters.

When speaking to me about his detachment's branches, General Ishii expressed the opinion
that it was necessary, in the event of hostilities becoming imminent, to subordinate the
branches to the headquarters of the armies and fronts of the Kwantung Army, so as to ensure,
in the event of necessity, the employment by the armies of bacteriological weapons for
combat purposes.

Subsequently, Ishii's opinion was confirmed and, as far as I remember, in August 1945 the
Commander-in-Chief issued an order to subordinate the detachment's branches directly to the
armies.

After my meeting with General Ishii I rode back in his car to Harbin, where, on the day
after my return from the detachment, I joined the Commander-in-Chief's suite.

Question: Did you report the results of your visit to Detachment 731 to former
Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army General Yamada?

Answer: Yes, I did.

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